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West Seattle news, 24/7Sun, 02 Aug 2015 22:26:03 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2FOLLOWUP: Mayor Murray backs off proposal that would potentially densify most single-family-zone neighborhoodshttp://westseattleblog.com/2015/07/followup-mayor-murray-backs-off-proposal-that-would-potentially-densify-most-single-family-zone-neighborhoods/
http://westseattleblog.com/2015/07/followup-mayor-murray-backs-off-proposal-that-would-potentially-densify-most-single-family-zone-neighborhoods/#commentsWed, 29 Jul 2015 22:01:04 +0000WSBhttp://westseattleblog.com/?p=3183523:01 PM: Two weeks after Mayor Murraywent public with his housing-affordability recommendations, while also releasing the Housing Affordability and Livability Advisory Committee‘s report, he is backing off the most controversial proposal – the plan to change not the zoning, but the rules, for most single-family neighborhoods (as detailed in this WSB report). Here’s the news release:

Today Mayor Ed Murray issued the following statement announcing he will not recommend pursuing a Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) committee recommendation that could have changed 94 percent of single-family zones in Seattle. Instead, he is calling for renewed public dialogue on how best to increase affordable housing in denser neighborhoods:

“The Council and I created the HALA process because our city is facing a housing affordability crisis. In the weeks since the HALA recommendations were released, sensationalized reporting by a few media outlets has created a significant distraction and derailed the conversation that we need to have on affordability and equity.

“Fundamentally, this is a conversation about building a Seattle that welcomes people from all walks of life — where working people, low-income families, seniors, young people and the kids of current residents all can live in our city.

“We also must not be afraid to talk about the painful fact that parts of our city are still impacted by the intersection of income, race and housing. Look at a map and take a walk through our neighborhoods. We can move beyond the legacy of the old boundaries of exclusion that have remained largely unchanged since nearly a century ago when neighborhood covenants were used to keep people of color south of Madison Street.

“I have always believed that Seattle can step up and have a difficult conversation about our history of racial discrimination and economic inequality. Our shared vision for Seattle includes affordable housing and diversity in all our neighborhoods.

“To advance the broader conversation about affordable housing and equity, I will no longer pursue changes that could allow more types of housing in 94 percent of single-family zones. Instead, we will refocus the discussion on designing denser Urban Centers, Urban Villages and along transit corridors that include more affordable housing.”

]]>http://westseattleblog.com/2015/07/followup-mayor-murray-backs-off-proposal-that-would-potentially-densify-most-single-family-zone-neighborhoods/feed/63Mayor’s housing plan: First council discussion; plus, clarifying what’s proposed for single-family neighborhoodshttp://westseattleblog.com/2015/07/mayors-housing-plan-first-council-discussion-plus-clarifying-whats-proposed-for-single-family-neighborhoods/
http://westseattleblog.com/2015/07/mayors-housing-plan-first-council-discussion-plus-clarifying-whats-proposed-for-single-family-neighborhoods/#commentsWed, 22 Jul 2015 06:16:44 +0000WSBhttp://westseattleblog.com/?p=317517The week after Mayor Murray went public with his housing proposals – concurrent with release of a report by the advisory committee appointed to examine the issue – the City Council got its first official briefing:

For this update on the plan, we also sat down with a West Seattleite from the HALA committee, Cindi Barker, to talk through a few of its more-confusing points. (She was not on the committee as a West Seattle representative, but as a member of the City Neighborhood Council.)

First – some toplines from Monday’s council meeting. Early on, a city staffer offered an understatement, saying it will be a “long conversation” because “some of the suggestions do step outside of the comfort zone.”

Much of the briefing focused on the backstory of how this all happened.

One major issue of interest brought up by Councilmember Tom Rasmussen was the oft-quoted contention that the city has enough “capacity” for all the new housing it needs, without any upzoning.

The city study with that conclusion, it was eventually explained, was done without the prism of affordability. In other words, all the new (and existing) residents could be accommodated – assuming they all could afford whatever the pricing turned out to be.

But the mandate is for a serious amount of affordable housing. The mayor’s “action plan” calls for accomplishing it through policies including “mandatory inclusionary zoning” – upzoning so that taller buildings could be built providing they include a certain number of affordable units.

DPD director Diane Sugimura acknowledged that “we do have significant … capacity,” while saying it’s also an issue of where the growth should be focused.

Rasmussen said this seemed to call for maps and data showing how many more people could be accommodated if certain zones were “built to capacity,” before they plunged ahead into upzoning. (Later in the meeting, related to the capacity issue, Councilmember Bruce Harrell also suggested they needed to review what might come along with annexation – South Park’s annexation area first, possibly White Center and North Highline later.)

But for those still trying to make sense of what was announced last week, one major point brought up Monday was one we also had discussed with Barker: What is really under consideration for single-family zones?

While technically most of those areas are not suggested for “upzoning” – the description of the single-family zone itself would change, so to say it’s not an “upzone” is a bit of hair-splitting. Single-family zones within urban-village boundaries are proposed for actual upzoning, changing to low-rise (in many UVs, you’ll find old single-family zones on land that’s already zoned LR, which is why, for example, so much teardown-to-townhouse type building is going on along California SW). But outside UVs, single-family would remain SF.

What WOULD change: More dwelling units within the same footprint. As explained, let’s say you are a single-family-home owner – your lot, now holding one house inhabited by one family, could hold three families – one in a backyard cottage (detached accessory dwelling unit), one in a separate area of your house (accessory dwelling unit), and then you in your part of the house. As Barker explained it to us, this wouldn’t just involve renting – there could be a lot-unit subdivision so you, the backyard-cottage family, and the other-side-of-the-house family could each own your residence.

As explained in Monday’s meeting, the description was: “Increasing inclusion in single-family areas – removing code barriers to accessory dwelling units and backyard cottages, and some flexibility for duplex and triplexes.”

]]>http://westseattleblog.com/2015/07/mayors-housing-plan-first-council-discussion-plus-clarifying-whats-proposed-for-single-family-neighborhoods/feed/55Want to follow the process as city pursues more housing via zoning changes? Here’s the next stephttp://westseattleblog.com/2015/07/want-to-follow-the-process-as-city-pursues-more-housing-via-zoning-changes-heres-the-next-step/
http://westseattleblog.com/2015/07/want-to-follow-the-process-as-city-pursues-more-housing-via-zoning-changes-heres-the-next-step/#commentsThu, 16 Jul 2015 17:43:12 +0000WSBhttp://westseattleblog.com/?p=316825Following up on Monday’s much-discussed mayoral announcement (WSB coverage here) of proposals the city hopes will lead to more housing, particularly more affordable housing: Most if not all of the proposed changes have to go through the City Council. Its members now have a new set of hats to wear while considering those changes: The Select Committee on Housing Affordability. The agenda is now out for its first meeting, next Monday (July 20th) around 2:30 pm (after the regular afternoon council meeting). Linked in the agenda are several documents, most of which went public with Monday’s announcement; one you might want to take a close look at includes this list of proposed multifamily/commercial zoning changes:

While most of this has been widely described as “adding one floor” to current zoning, note what’s proposed for the zone currently known as NC-85 – much of the heart of The Junction is zoned that way, as is part of Avalon, and that generally allows up to 8 floors. If this part of the new proposals is approved, that zone would fold into NC-125 – meaning up to 12 floors, four more floors beyond what’s now allowed. (If you’re not familiar with the term FAR in the table, that is short for floor-to-area ratio, explained here.) This has NOT been written into proposed legislation yet, so public hearings, counterproposals, and votes are still some distance off.

Meantime, we’re working on a separate followup looking at some of the other proposals including (but not limited to!) all the confusion and conflicting statements regarding what’s proposed for single-family zoning.

11:24 AM: Here’s the full text of the news release from the mayor’s office, hailing a “grand bargain” between developers and housing advocates, which includes a requirement for “affordable” units in all multi-family developments, and also increases allowable heights in certain zones:

Mayor Ed Murray and Councilmember Mike O’Brien today hailed an unprecedented agreement that will lead to at least 50,000 new homes in Seattle, including 20,000 affordable homes, over the next 10 years. Affordable housing will be included in nearly every residential development across Seattle as the rate of construction of new affordable homes triples.

“As Seattle expands and experiences rapid economic growth, more people are chasing a limited supply of housing. We are facing our worst housing affordability crisis in decades,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “My vision is a city where people who work in Seattle can afford to live here. Housing affordability is just one building block to a more equitable city. It goes hand in hand with our efforts on raising the minimum wage, providing preschool education for low-income children, and increasing access to parks and transit. We all share a responsibility in making Seattle affordable. Together, this plan will take us there.”

“Since 2013, the City Council has called for a robust, citywide, mandatory affordable housing program to help ensure that the people who work in this city can afford to live here. The combination of Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and a Commercial Linkage Fee will ensure that as Seattle continues to grow, we are creating housing for all incomes,” said Councilmember Mike O’Brien.

At the heart of the action plan to make Seattle affordable is Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, a requirement that developers reserve five to seven percent of units in every new multifamily building to be affordable for residents earning up to 60 percent of King County’s Area Median Income (AMI). Developers could opt to contribute to a fund for off-site construction of the units.

In 2015, 60 percent of AMI is $37,680 for an individual and $53,760 for a family of four. Current market-rate rents in new buildings on Seattle’s Capitol Hill currently average $1,887. In 2015, individuals with incomes of 60 percent of AMI pay $1,008 for income-restricted apartments.

New buildings will have taller height restrictions in existing multifamily residential, mixed-use and commercial zones throughout the city. A substantial portion of the additional development will occur within the existing Urban Centers and Urban Villages, designated two decades ago as the preferred location for denser housing. Only single-family zoning within Urban Villages and along major arterials will be converted to low-rise residential.

A map of the proposal, which was negotiated by Murray, O’Brien, developers and affordable housing advocates, shows where the growth could occur.

The action plan also includes a Commercial Linkage Fee on new commercial development, phased in over three years, to fund additional affordable housing for the lowest-income families. The linkage fee will range from $5 to $14 per square foot, based on the size and location of the commercial development.

When fully implemented, Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and the Commercial Linkage Fee will lead to the construction of at least 6,000 new affordable homes over 10 years.

The Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) advisory committee today delivered to the mayor 65 recommendations after 10 months of work. The consensus-driven proposal was crafted by a 28-member committee of affordable housing advocates, community voices, developers and housing experts appointed by the mayor and Seattle City Council last September.

“Many thanks to all the committee members and staff for an extraordinary amount of work over the past 10 months,” said HALA co-chairs David Wertheimer and Faith Li Pettis. “We were asked by the mayor and council to offer bold, new concepts in our approach to solving the affordable housing crisis. We think this plan fully delivers on that request. We were able to complete our task because we approached the challenge with a single, shared goal: to make Seattle affordable for all families. None of us got exactly the solution we may have envisioned at the outset, and every one of us had to give a little to reach this landmark agreement. In the end, we are confident that our collaboration will result in thousands of new affordable homes across our city.”

Murray immediately responded to the recommendations with his roadmap to make Seattle affordable, a path to reach his goal of 50,000 new homes, including 20,000 new homes for low- and moderate-income people, over the next decade. Some items in the action plan could be completed this year, while others will require at least two years to implement. In the coming weeks, the mayor will transmit to council a resolution to formalize the elements and framework of the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program.

Today, about 45,000 households in Seattle spend more than half their incomes on housing. An estimated 2,800 people sleep outside each night in Seattle. Currently, about 700 income-restricted homes are built in Seattle each year.

The increased development capacity across the city will ensure increase supply of housing to respond to growing demand, as Seattle is forecast to add 120,000 residents over the next 20 years.

Single-family zones currently represent 65 percent of all land in Seattle. After the proposed zoning changes, single-family zones will still cover 61 percent of Seattle. HALA proposes code changes that will make it easier to build accessory dwelling units and backyard cottages (only one percent of homeowners have done so), as well as allow duplexes and triplexes, while preserving the character of single-family neighborhoods.

Residential development continues to be excluded from industrial areas under the proposal.

The City is currently engaged in a community process to update its Comprehensive Plan, called Seattle 2035. Over the past two decades, the Comprehensive Plan has been successful in locating 75 percent of Seattle’s new housing in Urban Centers and Urban Villages. The update, to be completed in 2016, contemplates expansion of Urban Villages and denser housing around transit hubs and light rail stations. HALA’s recommendations will be implemented in conjunction with the updated Comprehensive Plan.

Doubling of Housing Levy in 2016

To meet the needs of the Seattle’s lowest-income residents, those earning less than 30 percent of AMI, HALA also proposes to double the existing $145 million Seattle Housing Levy scheduled to expire in 2016. Over the past 30 years, the levy has funded $400 million to build and preserve nearly 12,000 units of affordable housing.

In 2015, 30 percent of AMI is $18,850 for an individual or $26,900 for a family of four.

This year, the City will award a record $42 million from the Housing Levy and the existing Incentive Zoning program for the development and preservation of low-income housing. The Seattle Office of Housing will issue project guidelines and invite partner applications later this week.

The HALA report also urges the Washington State Legislature to allow Seattle to adopt a 0.25 percent real estate excise tax dedicated to affordable housing development, as well as an increase in the State Housing Trust Fund.

To support moderate-income families, HALA recommends expanding the Multifamily Property Tax Exemption Program (MFTE) that is set to expire at the end of the year. Under MFTE, developers receive a tax exemption when they dedicate 20 percent of units in new buildings for moderate-income people, typically between 65 percent and 85 percent of AMI. HALA proposes to expand the program to all areas where multifamily housing can be built and incorporate a new incentive for three-bedroom units to extend program benefits to larger moderate-income families.

In 2015, 80 percent AMI is $46,100 for an individual and $65,800 for a family of four.

HALA recommends a range of tenant protections to ensure better access to housing, prevent housing discrimination and minimize displacement as rental and ownership costs increase across the city:

· Prevent displacement as rents increase across the city through a Preservation Property Tax Exemption and other mechanisms.

· Remove barriers to housing for renters with a criminal history that disproportionately impact people of color.

· Strengthen the Tenant Relocation Assistance paid to low-income renters who are displaced by new development.

· Develop new homeownership tools for Muslim buyers who cannot use conventional mortgage products due to their religious convictions.

· Establish new protections to prevent discrimination against renters due to their source of income.

HALA also recommends that the City continue to review parking policies that contribute to the growth of housing costs or inhibit development in single- and multifamily residential zones.

11:47 AM: We’ve added embedded versions of the key documents/maps mentioned so far. Also of note, but not mentioned in the news release above – the mayor mentioned that, as part of the “bargain,” a lawsuit has been settled. Council President Tim Burgess, meantime, mentioned he’s creating a new City Council committee on housing that will deal with this, starting later this month.

]]>http://westseattleblog.com/2015/07/watch-live-housing-affordability-committee-report-goes-public-mayor-announces-action-plan/feed/81West Seattle development: Microhousing proposal on 36th SWhttp://westseattleblog.com/2015/07/west-seattle-development-microhousing-proposal-on-36th-sw/
http://westseattleblog.com/2015/07/west-seattle-development-microhousing-proposal-on-36th-sw/#commentsMon, 13 Jul 2015 16:27:33 +0000WSBhttp://westseattleblog.com/?p=316444Today you can expect to hear a lot about housing, construction, and zoning, as the long-awaited Housing Affordability and Livability Advisory Committee report is going public at City Hall at 11 am. We’ll have the details when available. In the meantime, new project proposals continue to surface in city files daily, and we have another one to mention today:

MICROHOUSING ON 36TH SW: A brand-new early-stage plan in the files would replace that 95-year-old triplex at 4122 36th SW (map) with what’s described as a “4-story apartment building” featuring “small efficiency dwelling units” (SEDU), the official name for the studios more commonly known as microhousing. The site is zoned Lowrise 3; the potential number of units is not mentioned in what’s been filed so far. No offstreet parking is planned; it’s not required because of its proximity to what’s considered “frequent transit.”

SIDE NOTE: Two SEDU buildings are under construction in West Seattle right now – 5949 California SW (approximately 40 units) and 3268 Avalon Way SW (62 units), which is next to one of the two already-open SEDU buildings, 3266 SW Avalon Way.

1201 HARBOR SW PROJECT UNDER WAY: Harbor Avenue has had many proposals but not much action for a while. This one at 1201-1205 Harbor Avenue SW is now under way after demolition of two old houses last week (WSB photo above) – city files show a 4-unit rowhouse on the way. (UPDATE: After publishing this, we received a rendering from the architects Allied 8:

]]>http://westseattleblog.com/2015/07/west-seattle-redevelopment-harbor-project-under-way-new-plans-for-california-fauntleroy-charlestown-sites/feed/9From The Times: West Seattle a big draw for people fleeing the Bay Areahttp://westseattleblog.com/2015/06/from-the-times-west-seattle-a-big-draw-for-those-fleeing-the-bay-area/
http://westseattleblog.com/2015/06/from-the-times-west-seattle-a-big-draw-for-those-fleeing-the-bay-area/#commentsThu, 11 Jun 2015 16:01:05 +0000WSBhttp://westseattleblog.com/?p=313215Thanks to the many people who’ve sent us this link – if you haven’t already seen it, data reporter Gene Balk at The Seattle Times (WSB partner) says people interested in getting out of the Bay Area are zeroing in on West Seattle – in a BIG way, at least according to one real-estate website. Doesn’t surprise us – when we got here from San Diego in 1991, we found more than a few other ex-Californians in WS. But that was pre-consumer Internet, so, no data-crunching possible! Any recent Bay Area arrivals within sight of these pixels, would love to hear how you wound up here – comments or editor@westseattleblog.com.
]]>http://westseattleblog.com/2015/06/from-the-times-west-seattle-a-big-draw-for-those-fleeing-the-bay-area/feed/46West Seattle development: Charlestown Court comes downhttp://westseattleblog.com/2015/05/west-seattle-development-charlestown-court-coming-down/
http://westseattleblog.com/2015/05/west-seattle-development-charlestown-court-coming-down/#commentsFri, 22 May 2015 23:49:26 +0000WSBhttp://westseattleblog.com/?p=311238

4:49 PM: Twice nominated, and rejected, for city-landmark status, the Charlestown Court apartments across from the ex-Charlestown Café are coming down.

Townhouses will replace them, as we’ve reported previously.

5:40 PM: We’re adding images and backstory. Video:

And – thanks to Bryce for the tip that demolition was under way; unexpected at 4 pm on a Friday going into a long holiday weekend. This site has been on our watchlist for many weeks, and we’ve driven by daily to check for signs of impending teardown, but hadn’t been by today, until that tip.

Back in 2008, with a different demolition/development proposal pending for the site, the city Landmarks Preservation Boardrejected a bid for landmark status, saying basically that it was nice-looking but not “special.” The proposal to replace it with a four-story apartments-over-retail building was scrapped later that year, and a new proposal emerged, one that would have preserved its distinctive facade:

SIDE NOTE: Its block is about to have a whole lot of building going on – it’s across the street from the former Charlestown Café, with live-work and townhouses slated to fill that site, and a few doors down on the west side of California, demolition is expected soon at 3829 California, with a 29-unit apartment building to replace it. While demolition was under way to the north, we noticed firefighters training in the now-vacant building:

ADDED 9:54 PM: Sent by Jackie (who has also mentioned this in the comment section):

We saved the azalea, though! The kindest operator and my neighbor, who owns the truck, helped get it up and out of harm’s way. Thank you, Cajun Excavating! You made our day.

Meantime, we went back before sunset to see if the south side of the building had been taken down since we left; it had.

]]>http://westseattleblog.com/2015/05/west-seattle-development-charlestown-court-coming-down/feed/814730 California apartments: Welcoming a new WSB sponsorhttp://westseattleblog.com/2015/05/4730-california-apartments-welcoming-a-new-wsb-sponsor/
http://westseattleblog.com/2015/05/4730-california-apartments-welcoming-a-new-wsb-sponsor/#commentsTue, 19 May 2015 23:41:44 +0000WSBhttp://westseattleblog.com/?p=310939Today we’re welcoming 4730 California, new apartments in the heart of the West Seattle Junction, as a new WSB sponsor. Here’s what they’d like you to know:

(Copyright: The Wolff Company / Doug Scott Photography)
Experience 4730 California apartments. Next to amazing restaurants, bars, shops, transit connections, yet mostly undiscovered by outsiders. 4730 California is the quintessential West Seattle address. It’s right smack dab in the heart of West Seattle. Yet at just 88 apartments, it is boutique enough to allow individual passions and living tastes to come through.

(WSB photo)
What ‘best in West’ means:

*Best Seattle is the sunset over the Olympics from your loveseat
*Best Seattle is sleeping in and grabbing a Low Rider at Easy Street
*Best Seattle is a stroll through Lincoln Park with Fido in tow
*Best Seattle is a year-round farmers’ market darn near in your back yard
*Best Seattle is Talarico’s New York-style slice as big as your head
*Best Seattle is a fat burger and beer from Elliott Bay Brewing

4730 California is available by appointment for tours Mondays-Fridays, 10 am-5 pm. The building is “very pet-friendly” and has special events such as wine tastings hosted by Bin 41 every third Thursday. And they’ve signed on as a major sponsor of this year’s West Seattle Summer Fest. Find out more at 4730ca.com.

If you weren’t at the Senior Center of West Seattle last Thursday for the discussion forum that led to last week’s most-discussed WSB story, now you can watch the Seattle Channel‘s video. Thanks to Diane for the tip; it’s available online (here, or embedded above) and is being shown on SC’s cable channel (21), with upcoming schedule slots listed as 4 pm tomorrow (Thursday) as well as 1 am and 11 am on Friday (May 1st). Though the forum sought to address a multitude of housing issues, they primarily boiled down to affordability, as well as tenants’ rights.

]]>http://westseattleblog.com/2015/04/video-senior-center-housing-forum-now-viewable-online-on-cable/feed/0‘Affordable housing’ forum starts with West Seattle tales of unaffordable housing, and what (little) you can do about ithttp://westseattleblog.com/2015/04/affordable-housing-forum-starts-with-west-seattle-tales-of-unaffordable-housing-and-what-little-you-can-do-about-it/
http://westseattleblog.com/2015/04/affordable-housing-forum-starts-with-west-seattle-tales-of-unaffordable-housing-and-what-little-you-can-do-about-it/#commentsFri, 24 Apr 2015 02:11:41 +0000WSBhttp://westseattleblog.com/?p=308049

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Rather than starting with numbers and trends, this afternoon’s affordable-housing forum at the Senior Center of West Seattle cut directly to the heart of the crisis, with two women telling their stories.

They were introduced by the center’s social worker Holly McNeill: “I’ve had an incredible increase in the number of people coming to me each week telling me they’re homeless, or their apartments are being torn down, or they’re being priced out by the landlord or manager in order to upgrade the apartments and turn them around at twice the amount they’re currently being rented at … it’s just happening to so many people.”

“I lived in a 9-unit mom-and-pop-type apartment complex.” She thought it would “be there forever.” They told her they were selling the building but “selling it to people just like us” – then, “the new owners who came in and bought the building raised the rents anywhere from 130 to 140 percent – “In a studio apartment, my rent went from $650 to $1500 a month” – the audience groans – “Each unit was going to be responsible for the common area utilities like electric and water,” which was another 93/month. They got two months’ notice. “My first reaction was to go into research mode – my kids always say, mom’s on a mission, get out of her way.” She worked to find out, “is this legal … what are our rights … to no avail, really.” She had had surgeries recently, ended up having to take early retirement. “I don’t really have wiggle room to go from $650 to $1590, that’s even more than I make per month.” So she started “an arduous process” to find someplace else to live – “day and night I was on the computer looking for a place to live.” She finally found somewhere, “not my ultimate, ‘isn’t this great,’ but I accomplished my goal. I had to be out on the 28th of February, or else pay $1590 on the first of March for rent. ”

They were going to make some changes, “lipstick on a pig,” she said, but not until the new rent kicked in. She found a two bedroom, one bath apartment with “some guy I don’t know” – she had “a pit in the bottom of my stomach … I took a leap of faith, and moved in, and I’ve been there two months and he decided this month not to pay his rent, and I just found that out two days ago, and I’m going to be homeless again …”

Nancy continued, “The highest I can afford is $650/month – and I guarantee you cannot find anything inside OR outside Seattle – I even searched as far as Bellingham.” Her landlords want to keep her but can’t figure out how. “These are stories that SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.”

Diana was renting a room in an Admiral home that was sold to developers. Told to leave so it could be torn down. pic.twitter.com/DZSFxOA9TY

Next, Diana, who said she considers herself homeless – she is living with her sister and brother-in-law; “if not for them I would be on the street or in Nickelsville.” Previously, she explained, she was renting a room in Admiral; the owner decided she was going to sell the house, didn’t tell the tenants, her or the other two tenants. “She sold the house, sold it as a teardown, sold it to developers – the developers came in, we were not told anything, we were there about a year and we got a 60-day notice we had to be out. We all looked (after the sale) … we could not find anything. To find something you can afford, is unreal. Craigslist .. if you answer anything (there) and say you are retired, you don’t get a callback.”

She continued, “It’s very sad. … I’m not the only one. There are a lot of other people in the area. It’s very frustrating. I don’t know what else to say, because I’m angry. If you ask a question, you don’t even get an answer. You’re made to feel stupid. I’m not stupid.” She said, “I wish we could march on the streets of West Seattle and let people know.”

Then, the trends and advice. Senior Center interim executive director Lyle Evans had introduced them all at the start, before City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen explained that the forum had been in the works for months.

Jennifer LaBrecque from the city Office of Housing spoke first, reviewing rental trends in West Seattle and the rest of the city:

First – “rents over time” – inflation-adjusted. Rents currently average less than $1,300 for 1=bedroom apartments in the larger West Seattle area, less than the citywide average 1-bedroom rent. One line shows The Junction, $1,456/month for 1-bedroom.

Looking at incomes – West Seattle is comparable to the rest of the city, with about 25 percent of people make $35,000 or less per year. Almost half make $75,000 or more. Then a pie chart – housing and income, rent data, almost half the people in West Seattle (and the city in general) are “housing-cost burdened” – housing costs more than 30 percent of their income. 24 percent are paying 20 to 29.9%, 28 percent are paying less than 20 percent.

She shows profiles – a woman who is retired on a fixed income – “household income $14,400, affordable rent would be $360, average studio rent … $1,169 … that’s close to a $700 gap between what they can afford and what they can find.” Then, a couple working part time – combined household income about $26,000, affordable rent would be $668, average rent is $1400 – “another gap.”

For a single person working fulltime and getting paid $30K, rent would be $765 at “affordable,” but $1169 is the reality of a studio.

She mentioned “HousingSearchNW.org“, which has a database among other resources for finding “available units that are affordable.” And she showed a list of homeowner resources – Home Repair Loan Program, HomeWise Weatherization Program, Foreclosure Prevention Resources, Minor Home Repair Program, Utility Discount Program.

Next: Joy Scott from Solid Ground.

She mentioned the Tenant Services Hotline they run three days a week. They offer “information on your rights as a renter under the Landlord Tenant Act,” “discuss your situation and brainstorm actions,” “provide community resources and free legal referrals.”

And then, she offered practical advice:

TOP FIVE TENANT TIPS

*Be proactive – know your rights uner the law and how to assert them
*You must be current in rent in order to assert your rights under the law
*Don’t withhold rent over repairs; the landlord could evict you for not paying your rent
*Communicate with your landlord in writing. Create a file and keep copies of letters, receipts, and notices related to your tenancy
*Read the rental agreement before signing and view the actual unit you will be moving into

She outlined key points of the Fair Tenant Screening Act, outlining what the landlord must provide in writing, and what fees they are allowed to charge – “only charge a screening fee if they have provided written notice of what the screening entails as described; can only charge the actual costs of screening – about $35 to $75.”

They recommend: Minimize your risk of paying a fee and getting denied by knowing what’s on your record adn finding out what the landlord is willing to work with, BEFORE you pay – what might be a cause for denial, for example. If you do get denied – they must give you a “written adverse-action notice stating the reason why” – if that is not provided, you can sue for up to $100 in Small Claims Court, plus court costs and attorneys’ fees.

Common barriers to tenancy: Eviction records – which never come off your record; credit history – check your credit report first – criminal history, and rental history. (Solid Ground, she explains, has a “financial fitness” program helping go over people’s credit reports.)

She goes over pros of month-to-month – pros include easy termination (both sides) but cons include terms including rent increases can be changed with as little as a month’s written notice. “Lease tenancy” – during that time, the terms can’t be changed but it’s a binding contract so if you need to change the terms, it becomes more difficult to exit without fines or penalties.

Security/damage deposits – rental agreement must be in writing including terms/conditions for deposit; walk-through checklist signed and copy to tenant; landlord provides you the name of the bank where the deposit is held in a trust account.

*To institute a rent increase: A tenancy must be month-to-month or up for renewal
*30 days written notice required, must correspond to start of rental period, usually 1st
*In Seattle, for rent increases of 10 percent or more in a twelve-month period, 60 days written notice is required
*Rent increase cannot be retaliatory
*There is NO rent control in Washington

Other helpful information:

To request repairs:
*Contact your landlord as soon as you notice
*Send request in writing (that does NOT mean e-mail)
*State time frames to begin repairs provided in the law
*Send repair letters by registered mail

Time frames:
Once the landlord receives a written requwst, they must begin to fix the problem within
*24 hours hot/cold water, electricity, heat, imminently hazardous
*72 hours plumbing, ovens, major appliences they supplied
*10 days for other repairs such as pest infestations

Notice to move out:
In month-to-month, 20 days written notice is required; improper notice or not moving out by deadline might cost a tenant an entire month of rent; in Seattle, a landlord cannot terminate a month-to-month tenancy without “Just Cause” – city ordinances cite 18 reasons

Documentation regarding moving out
*Review rental agreement, take pictures when you move in AND move out, communicate with landlord in writing, request receipts/keep copies of all communication, document all damages to the unit, no matter how small

Getting your deposit back
*Landlord has 14 days to refund or send itemized statement saying why any portion of it is being withheld
*If they miss deadline, you’re entitled to get it all back

Number one tip for property owners facing this – OPEN EVERY PIECE OF MAIL YOU GET. She explains “loan modification,” the forms you need, etc.

She says “reverse mortgages” not always the best solution but “does work for some” – available if you are 62 or over. They are not connected to financial institutions but you should attend a counseling session before you get one.

Low Income Public Housing program – where residents pay 30 percent of their income – 3200 units around the city, 28 high rises, low income, able to live indpendently, average income $9000, average rent $250. SHA gets a federal subsidy for each unit. Waiting list 1-4 years.

Then the Seattle Senior Housing Program – 23 buildings, 62 and older, all one or two bedrooms, average income $13,000, waiting list 1-3 years. There are rent tiers in this program, Jake says, depending on income.

LIPH West Seattle properties are on this map – Cal-Mor Circle, Westwood Heights (near Roxbury Safeway), Stewart Manor. Westwood is 62 and older, has 135 units, other two have about 75 units. SSHP Wildwood Glen has 24 units, is about 30 years old, near Fauntleroy Ferry. Wait list 2.5 years, maybe 2 vacancies a year.

Le Blanc showed the rent tier graph, and then contact information including Admissions Office who can talk to them about resources, whether their housing or other low-income housing.

Outgoing City Councilmember Sally Clark, who is introduced by Rasmussen as having worked on affordable-housing issues for a long time, talked about “what city is working on internally.” Now she says, Seattle has been a boom-and-bust town for a long time: stories frequently about real-estate money, equity coming from outside, “very technical … but the real impact is the change of rent on what we see are these very attractive properties …” longtime landlords “who cared about our communities … we love our tenants and we’re not interested in making too many changes” – but then eventually properties change hands, like the 140 percent rent increase, “someone has bought and is maximizing their return.” She says the city is thinking more about preservation and how to get more praoctive. The city wants to becompetitive economically AND competitive in maintaining way of life.

She then explained the group “meeting around the Affordable Housing Agenda,” saying they are people from all aspects of the housing situation, “how does the city do better, how do we catch up, close the gaps …” The group is supposed to have recommendations by the end of May.

The two-months notice is someplace where Seattle has gone above and beyond other jurisdictions – but even at that, Clark acknowledged, “with a 140 percent rent increase, what does 60 days get you?” She said she intends to stay involved even after transitioning into her new job with the UW.

First audience question: Do you get on just one waiting list, or multiple? SHA’s LeBlanc said you can get on multiple wait lists – you can apply for both SSPP and LIPH, and can make a choice of which building(s) you’d rather be in. “It’s really important with us that you stay in contact, no matter which waitlist you’re on.”

Second question: What incentives are in the works for affordable housing? Rasmussen mentioned the MFTE – which Clark said had to be renewed by year’s end; she went on to mention “two buckets,” subsidized units and incentive zoning. (None of the latter in WS right now, she noticed.) She also mentioned the linkage fee, which says “when you build a new building, you’re changing the economics of the community – now, everybody else’s property values are going up, it’s gotten more expensive to be in the neighborhood, you probably had to include retail on the ground floor … (the workers in that retail) tend to not be incomes that can afford to live in the building you just built.” So, supporters of the fee contend, the developer should be making a contribution because of all that. “The linkage fee is being studied.”

A man stood up and pointed out that at least 1,000 new housing units are being built all around The Junction. “Are you saying that none of them are going to be low-income housing?”

He was interrupted for a moment by the next question, a man whose wife had a stroke and now they are paying $5,000/month for health care. “What do we do when our money runs out?” One thing he suggested, “get on a waiting list right away.”

Back to the low-income housing, MFTE came up again. No one knew which under-construction buildings were participating. Nancy, who said she was “trying to sit here and not explode,” says she can answer that – she had checked on them all – and mentioned that the “affordable” level is still way out of reach.

Clark said that lawmakers need to be able to help tell stories like the ones we heard here – “we need to make those stories real – Sen. Kohl-Welles’s bill” (should have advanced, but lost traction).

Nancy said extending the time is great, but that doesn’t change the fact the rent would still be unaffordable. “Unless one of you wants to take me home tonight and let me live with you, I’m screwed.”

Questions meandered a bit to the safety of low-income housing and whether pets were allowed.

One woman said that trying to cope with this problem can cause PTSD. “Keep reminding people that it costs so much more to our society to have to remedy the longterm health are or social problem or rehousing people … We all want Seattle to be a wonderful place to live. But 48 percent of us, housing is a burden, a stress in our life. That’s not healthy.”

Another question: What if landlords raise the rent every year, say 10 percent every year? Can we do anything about that? Rasmussen says, yes, they can, under current law. LaBrecque from the Office of Housing said, “We do see that more than we’d like to.”

More questions: What about legislation to standardize the tenant-screening fee and make it affordable? And what about landlords – lots of talk about how renters need to be careful not to screw up, but what about landlords violating lease agreements, say, allowing a pet in what’s supposed to be a pet-free building, where other tenants rented with that expectation?

Rasmussen said he wasn’t sure the screening fee could be standardized/made affordable at a city level – it might be something that the state hasn’t granted authority for them to do. He says he’ll look into it. Second, LaBrecque there’s no central landlord-observing body but the city does have staff that will come out, and you can make a report without providing your specific info. She pointed to a guide to tenants’ rights that has two pages of resources for tenants. (We found some here.) The Washington State Human Rights Commission could help with civil-rights violations at a property, for example, she said.

Another attendee asked about how to organize a group in a building that could have an impact on the building environment – in her building, for example, someone decided they wanted no pictures on the wall. “I’m sorry to bring this up when people are dealing with having a roof over their head, but sometimes that roof can feel like a prison,” she said. Solid Ground’s Scott suggested going to the Tenants’ Union.

From another attendee, the law regarding parking requirements in a building. “I live in senior housing, my life is literally directed about whether i can be home before 3 or I do not have a place on my street close to my apartment to park. I am a heart patient. I have sometimes had to walk half a mile.” She says that some neighbors cancel their health appointments if they’re going to get home after 4:30 pm because they can’t walk safely to their apartments.

Rasmussen explains the frequent-transit-service reason, and acknowledges the transit service doesn’t meet everyone’s needs. He then explains the cost to developers and cites $30,000-$40,000/parking space, and that the cost of the building affects the rent that will be charged. He also mentions a lot of pressure, strong sentiment to not require parking. “Where’s the pressure for not requiring parking?” asks a woman. “From the developers,” answers Rasmussen, “and from those who are advocating for affordable housing.” He says in some areas, like Capitol Hill, parking spaces are built in buildings and not used.

Wrapping up the forum, Evans said that the center has a bulletin board if someone wants to share a room or offer a room. It’s an unofficial way to coordinate, so drop by the center – “the home-sharing thing might be an immediate fix for some of you.”

Councilmember Tom Rasmussen will host a community forum regarding affordable-housing challenges for senior citizens and options for those on fixed incomes. Rasmussen is hosting the meeting in response to concerns he has heard regarding the increasing cost of housing, particularly from low-income seniors. Representatives for senior citizens, social workers, housing affordability advocates, Seattle Housing Authority, and from the Seattle Utility Discount Program will be part of the presentation.

The Senior Center’s entrance is on SW Oregon just east of California SW.

]]>http://westseattleblog.com/2015/04/affordable-housing-challenges-forum-ahead-ws-senior-center/feed/0Mayor puts a number on ‘affordable housing’: 20,000 units in 10 yearshttp://westseattleblog.com/2015/03/mayor-puts-a-number-on-affordable-housing-20000-units-in-10-years/
http://westseattleblog.com/2015/03/mayor-puts-a-number-on-affordable-housing-20000-units-in-10-years/#commentsThu, 26 Mar 2015 20:52:26 +0000WSBhttp://westseattleblog.com/?p=305180Will runaway rents chase (more) people out of the city? With heartbreaking tales like this one emerging, and discussions like this one ongoing, Mayor Murray has stepped up While his affordable-housing advisory committee continues to work on its recommendations, Mayor Murray has just given them a goal with a specific number:

Mayor Murray today directed the Housing Affordability and Livability Advisory Committee to meet his new goal for both income-restricted affordable and market-rate units to be created over the coming decade.

Mayor Murray asked the committee to develop specific proposals that will allow the building and preservation of 50,000 housing units over in the next 10 years within the city limits. 20,000 of these must be income-restricted affordable units for individuals and families making 80 percent of the area median income (AMI) and below. 30,000 units would be market rate.

“Seattle is facing a serious lack of affordable housing options that displace families and people in this city,” said Murray. “Next week, Seattle’s minimum wage workers are getting a raise as a part of our broader affordability agenda. We need to make sure that those who work in Seattle can afford to live here.”

The increase in income-restricted affordable units is nearly a tripling of the current rate of units being built for those at 80 percent of AMI or less. Currently, income-restricted affordable housing is being built at a rate of around 700 units per year.

“As the HALA enters the last stretch of analysis and discussion of strategies, this target will sharpen our focus,” said Faith Le-Pettis, co-chair of the advisory committee. “No matter your perspective, the target we’ve been given by the Mayor is an enormous number. We’ll need determination, long-sightedness and civic commitment to meet the challenge.”

The Housing Affordability and Livability Advisory Committee was formed by Mayor Murray and city councilmembers in the fall of 2014 to develop policy recommendations for the city. The committee is made up of 28 housing experts, activists and community leaders. They will issue their recommendations to the Mayor in May.

Right now, the Multi-Family Tax Exemption is one incentive the city has been offering developers for some years – if they agree to keep a certain number of units in their projects in certain areas (including West Seattle’s urban villages/centers) at a certain percentage of the area’s median income, they get a 12-year tax break, no property taxes on the residential portion of their buildings.

When we talked to Mayor Murray at his neighborhood-press availability last week, he mentioned he would be announcing an affordable-housing goal and that it would take “a series of tools – not just one tool” to make it reality. He said in that interview that it would be vital to build units for people who will “never qualify for subsidized housing” but are being priced out of the “market” nonetheless.

While Junction leaders were gathered at Husky Deli to launch a survey of the area’s historical character, another development project was ramping up just blocks away. Thanks to Sally and Carl for sending photos from 42nd SW in The Junction, just north of SW Oregon, where three houses are coming down at the Junction Flats site, weeks after the demolition equipment was brought in and parked in the houses’ front yards. This is right across the street from Hope Lutheran School, which has provided an audience of sorts:

(WSB photo from November 17, 2008)
At 4532 42nd SW in The Junction, that house with history – a long-ago hospital, WSB’ers told us – came down in fall of 2008. At the time, a 35-residential-unit, 54-parking-space development was in the works. As happened to some other projects right around that time, it got shelved. Now a brand-new proposal has emerged, a mixed-use building with 84 apartments and 70 underground parking spaces. The project would also include the site of the small brick house-turned-office at 4536 42nd SW, placing the building immediately north of Capco Plaza (QFC/Altamira).

(WSB photo, taken this morning)
According to the early-stage site plan that just turned up in city files, the building’s parking garage would have an entry on the same alley used for the Capco Plaza garage, and the residential entry on 42nd would be just north of the alley. This will require Design Review – no date yet. It’s an NK Architects project, as are the two noted below:

SIDE NOTE: This proposal’s emergence means three projects are now in the works for the two-block stretch of 42nd between Genesee and Alaska in the heart of The Junction. Construction equipment has been parked for a while outside two of the three houses scheduled to come down for 80-apartment Junction Flats on the west side of 42nd just north of Oregon; just south of Oregon, 4505 42nd SW, with 41 apartments and 9 “lodging” units, won Design Review approval earlier this year.